ORThe Open Room
Digital gallery
Back to the NGA collection
The image shows three individuals outdoors. One person is seated playing a flute, another person is kneeling nearby, and a third person, likely a child, is beside them. The seated person has short, curly hair and is wearing a tunic. The kneeling person has hair tied up and wears a layered dress. Several dogs are lying nearby. Objects nearby include a basket of flowers, a hat, and a cane or shepherd's crook. The background features foliage, tree branches, and a stone wall or structure.
Read the visual description

The image shows three individuals outdoors. One person is seated playing a flute, another person is kneeling nearby, and a third person, likely a child, is beside them. The seated person has short, curly hair and is wearing a tunic. The kneeling person has hair tied up and wears a layered dress. Several dogs are lying nearby. Objects nearby include a basket of flowers, a hat, and a cane or shepherd's crook. The background features foliage, tree branches, and a stone wall or structure.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Young Shepherd Playing a Pipe for Two Young Shepherdesses

François Boucher

Date
mid-18th century
Medium
black chalk, pen and brown ink, and brown wash, on pink prepared paper, laid down on an old mount
Dimensions
sheet: 23.19 × 16.51 cm (9 1/8 × 6 1/2 in.) mount: 27.5 × 21.3 cm (10 13/16 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2022.14.2
Credit line
Gift of David H. McDonnell
Time span
1726 to 1750
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record

Subjects and terms

  • group
  • figure
  • Tree
  • child
  • portrait
  • Statue
  • animal
Provenance

(Charles E. Slatkin Galleries, New York). (sale, Christie's New York, 26 January 2016, no. 60); David McDonnell, Arlington; gift to NGA, 2021.

Inscription

by later hand, side verso of mount in graphite: 6 9/16 x 9 1/16

NGA object ID 224368. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.